Media Giants Back Down: Was It Fear or a Deal?

House Democrats are upset. They think media companies showed weakness. ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel's show. This happened after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr made threats. Democrats say Carr abused his power. They think media companies might have made a secret deal. Democrats say Carr bullied ABC. They want Carr to step down. They think Trump and Republicans are attacking free speech. Democrats say media companies should explain why they censored Kimmel. They promise to investigate. Kimmel talked about a tragic event on his show. He said some people tried to twist the story. This made Republicans angry. Carr threatened ABC over Kimmel's words. Soon after, Nexstar and ABC pulled Kimmel's show. Other Democrats also spoke up. They said Trump is trying to silence speech he doesn't like. They compared it to how autocracies work. Some pointed out Carr's past support for free speech. They said his actions now contradict his words. Media companies have a lot at stake. They are dealing with the FCC on big mergers. Some think they gave in to avoid trouble. Others think it's about politics. Either way, free speech took a hit.